A campaign to save a Georgian house on the edge of Letterkenny from demolition is set to intensify over the coming months.
It comes just days after plans were announced to transform a 40-acre site in Gortlee, which includes Gortlee House, into a hotel, offices and residential units in a multi-million regeneration project.
The site has been subject to regeneration developments after being earmarked for development in 2010 to build a new 100 bedroom hotel, 301 residential units, crèche, offices, retail units and an extension to the existing Town Park.
Despite planning permission being granted to applicants Mr Allen and George Robinson, the new development was never built. Last week, Mr Allen Robinson confirmed that new plans to develop the site will be lodged with the Council in the coming months.
However, that decision has triggered debate among local campaigners who are calling for the preservation of the historic building by listing it.
Mr Colm McDaid is a local historian. He believes that the house needs to be protected and added to the protected structures record.
“A large area of mature trees, hundreds of years old, have been felled and removed around Gortlee House. Gortlee was one of the last mature natural woods in the area and it has been destroyed. The forest is gone.
Gortlee estate in its former glory with a rich forest of trees.
“Now, developers want to destroy one of the oldest houses in the town. They should be refused permission and Gortlee House should be a listed building,” Mr McDaid said.
The Oldtown native said that something similar had happened with Ballymacool House.
“You would have thought that the council would have learned from mistakes of the past. The former Oatfield factory building across the road was also demolished – wrongly in my opinion – and we can’t let the same thing happen here,” Mr McDaid said.
Others have also voiced opposition to the plans.
In last week’s Donegal News, Mr Robinson confirmed that works on site were ongoing in preparation for the proposed new development. However he moved to allay fears that extensive site clearance and deforestation have taken place already.
“A farmer has the land, under lease, and he’s been carrying out standard farm works as it had become very overgrown on places. He’s been busy clearing scrub.
“However, as per the conditions of rezoning, no mature trees have been touched during that process. We have been in contact with the Council in that regard and the area has been inspected. Mature trees have not been touched – and won’t be touched – until such time as permission is granted. We’ve been very transparent on that issue,” Mr Robinson said.
Shortly after the story was posted online over the weekend, aerial photographs were uploaded which appear to show that a large number of trees have been felled in the vicinity of Gortlee House.
“Having been through this wood on numerous searches for missing persons in the Letterkenny area over the past few years, I can assure the owners that mature trees have been felled. From the surrounding housing estate and the Town Park you can clearly see the clearance that has taken place.
What appears to be a more recent satellite image of the estate.
“The surrounding natural woodland, home to numerous species of wildlife has been destroyed – it’s too late. But we can still save Gortlee House,” Mr McDaid said.
Mr Robinson said that he had plans for a mixed use development, which will include a hotel and apartments together with a number of other components suitable for current market demands, for the site.
He added that they would work closely alongside council planners throughout the process which is still at the early stages.
There have been plans to transform the grounds of Gortlee House for many years and back in 2009 a planning application was lodged for a “€100 million housing development and country style hotel” on the site adjoining the Town Park.
In 2010 the development was granted permission by Letterkenny Town Council.
Later that year residents of the Gortlee area lodged an objection to An Bord Pleanála against the project citing concerns about its scale and the impact on their property. In 2011 An Bord Pleanála upheld the Town Council’s decision but said it should be reduced in size through the omission of an office block and the removal of the top floor of eight apartment blocks.
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